The Future of Food
‘EARTHGANIC’ FARMING
Park City restauranteur Bill White is known for doing things differently. His eight eateries—Grappa, Chimayo, Wahso, Windy Ridge Café/Bakery, Ghidotti’s, Sushi Blue and Billy Blanco’s—cover the spectrum of regional cuisines and price points and helped advance the culinary scene in Park City over the past several decades. As the farm-to-table movement gained mainstream appeal in Utah, consumer demand for sustainable agriculture such as open range, hormone-free meats, sustainable seafood and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables grew. In 2013, White saw an opportunity to step back from his restaurants to return to his northern Michigan farming roots and shed light on the importance of how the plants and animals are raised and grown. Today, Bill White Farms and the Agriculture, Education and Sustainability Center put into practice innovative ways to grow and serve food as well as utilize the leftovers once a meal is finished. Bill White Farms encompasses two properties—the farm on Highway 224 and also a 5-acre ranch on Old Ranch Road—each operating under the Earthganic standards White developed and trademarked to describe his holistic approach to agricultural and ranching practices. From soil restoration and cover cropping to rotational grazing and a focus on producing protein sources that improve human nutrition, White’s current efforts far surpass organic farming practices and USDA animal health standards. The Highway 224 farm started as a hobby farm but quickly changed course to showcase sustainability and how much healthy food can be produced on very little land. Over time, it has become a model of clean farming principles and produces four dozen different varieties of vegetables and fruits including tomatoes, kale, corn, bell peppers, eggplant, asparagus, apples, strawberries and herbs such as basil and oregano. At Old Ranch Road, White raises pigs, chickens, turkeys, cows and lambs where they forage and enjoy open air in addition to fresh kitchen scraps from the restaurants. A 100,000-gallon fish tank feeds plants that become fodder for the livestock during the winter months. White eventually hopes to grow 50,000 rainbow trout, too. Food raised by Bill White Farms is then served at charitable dinners on the property and benefitting other nonprofit organizations or donated to Christian Center of Park City to feed 4,000 Park City residents each month. (By Heather L. King) NIKI CHAN
Bill White Bill White Farms
Bill White Farms, 5373 Highway 224, Park City, 435-647-2908, BillWhiteFarms.org
It’s a great spring Devour Utah • april 2020 23
